It's become a Thanksgiving tradition for restaurateur Marilyn Schlossbach and Pat Sherman, now in their 10th year of serving free meals on the holiday.
ASBURY PARK -- The city's boardwalk was desolate and the ocean was calm Thanksgiving morning, but the oceanfront restaurant, Langosta Lounge, was bustling.
The restaurant had a line that snaked around the building. Inside, the eatery was teeming with about 100 volunteers serving food to area residents.
It's the 10th year restaurateurs Marilyn Schlossbach and Pat Sherman of F.E.E.D.ing Frenz have teamed up to serve thousands of free meals on Thanksgiving.
For many, the holiday season can be difficult. Schlossbach said she knows the feeling, having lost both parents around the holidays.
"This has become our family tradition," Schlossbach said, taking a break from working inside the kitchen. "It's a challenging time for a lot of people, and you can wallow in that pain or turn around and help people and feel good about it."
She first started the tradition in 2006 at the now-closed Market In The Middle on Cookman Avenue. Schlossbach and Sherman also serve free meals on Easter and Christmas.
"Anybody that needs a meal can come," Sherman said, as she worked to package meals to go for other agencies. "I don't ask questions. They get drinks, desert; they get everything."
Along with a Thanksgiving meal -- which ran the gamut from turkey and ham to mac-and-cheese and penne vodka -- people were given a turkey, stuffing and cranberry-mayonnaise sandwich to take home, and the option to pick up pantry and clothing items and other take-home goodies like candy.
In all, approximately 1,000 to 1,500 meals will get served from Langosta Lounge on Thursday, Sherman said.
"It's the most awesome thing you can do on a holiday," she said. "How can you tell these faces, 'No'?" she added, pointing to a group of young children holding hands.
Sherman, who works in the IT department at Monroe High School, said she had some of her students help volunteer and others came from all over the area to lend a hand.
Schlossbach said they get so many requests from people to help out, they actually have to turn down volunteers.
Barry Bowling, 48, of Asbury Park, has been volunteering since the start 10 years ago. Bowling dresses up as Santa Claus for the Christmas dinner.
"You have to give back," he said. "These people have nothing. Remember, there's always someone worse off than you."
For Belmar resident Amanda Delgado, this was her first year volunteering on Thanksgiving.
"We all kind of chip in," she said, as she held a pitcher of water to refill cups around the restaurant. "It's something that people don't do much, and it's necessary. The optimal word is selfless."
Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.